Crews battle blaze at building supply store in Chilliwack
Credit to Author: Harrison Mooney| Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2019 01:39:59 +0000
Fire crews in Chilliwack are battling a large fire that broke out at Windsor Plywood, north of the train tracks on Vedder Road.
The fire was reported around 2:30 p.m., and as many as eight fire trucks attended to the scene, hoping to contain the blaze before it could spread to nearby business and structures, such as a new apartment building being erected next door to the blaze, and the lumberyard’s neighbour, Canadian Liquidation.
In a blunt message posted to its Facebook page, Canadian Liquidation thanked emergency crews for their efforts while warning customers to avoid the area.
“Please stay away from our store area as it’s on fire,” the company said.
Chilliwack-Kent MLA Laurie Throness, whose office is nearby, expressed sadness at the incident as well.
“Unfortunately, there is sadness and celebration at Christmas,” he said in a Facebook statement. “This afternoon Windsor Plywood in Sardis burnt down, just a few doors away from my office. Our firefighters are doing a great job, keeping the fire from adjacent buildings.”
The city of Chilliwack warned residents to avoid Vedder Road, which has been closed near Wells Road until further notice.
Vedder Road is closed near Wells Road while fire crews respond to a structure fire. Please use alternate routes and avoid the area if possible.
No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
The fire has also knocked out power to thousands of customers in the region. B.C. Hydro reported that 4,050 customers in the Sardis and Promontory areas were without power as of about 3:30 p.m, though that number had dwindled to just over 1,000 by 5 p.m.
Hydro crews are hoping to have power restored to all customers by 6 p.m.